Various keystroke devices exist in the art. The most prevalent keystroke device is a computer keyboard. The keys of a standard computer keyboard are merely switches electronically indicating only a depressed state. Therefore, no signal is output or indicated by the keyboard when a keyboard is at rest, and a signal corresponding to depressed key(s) is output or indicated only when at least one key is depressed sufficiently far to “set off” the switch of that key or the switches of that set of keys.
A typewriter also has a keyboard, which can be mechanical and/or electronic. Like the computer keyboard, actuation (e.g., depression) of a key is intended to print a character. In electronic typewriters, when a key is actuated sufficiently far, a signal is sent to a processor to have the corresponding key(s) printed on the typing medium (e.g., paper). Mechanical typewriters are similar to electronic typewriters, but with one significant difference. Mechanical typewriters connect the key of the keyboard directly to the hammer containing the corresponding character to be printed on the page. Such a connection typically places the key at the end of a lever connected to a fulcrum and, when the lever is depressed at a proximal end, the distal end of the lever forcibly contacts or causes a hammer to pivot its distal end towards the page. A printing ribbon is disposed between the page and the end of travel of the hammer and a character formed at the end of the hammer is printed on the paper because the raised character presses the printing ribbon against the page. Because such an assembly is a mechanical connection dependent upon the pressure imparted by the user, the hammer can hit the page with varying degrees of force. A relatively hard contact produces a clearly printed character on the page. In contrast, a relatively soft contact may produce a lightly printed character, which also can be referred to as a “shadow.” For mechanical typewriters, it is more desirable to have clearly printed characters than to have shadow characters. Therefore, improvements were made over the history of mechanical typewriters to guarantee relatively uniform contact between the hammer and the page, which improvements were, thereafter, incorporated into most electronic typewriters.
Another keystroke device can be found on stenographic devices. The most modern stenographic devices are entirely electronic and virtually immediately translate the stenographic key actuations into an accurate written representation of the spoken word. These modern devices are analogous to the electronic typewriters and computer keyboards in that a specific actuation of a key or set of keys will cause a clear printing or storage of the corresponding character or set of characters. Insufficient depression of a key(s) will not generate any output. Alternatively, depression of a set of keys (which is common for stenographic dictation) where one or more keys is sufficiently actuated but one or more other key(s) is insufficiently actuated will generate an output that does not correspond to the stenographers' intended output. Thus, the stenographer or computer associated with the stenographic device might not be able to accurately translate the inadequately actuated key(s) depending upon what was actually output to the paper or the electronically stored file.
The earlier stenographic devices provided an advantage over the modern stenographic devices. The older devices gave a stenographer some ability to determine a correct output from an incorrect input because these older mechanical devices printed the output on the paper in varying degrees of lightness. Stenographers refer to a lightly printed output as “shadow” output. So, if an intended output was lightly printed on the stenographic paper, that stenographer might have been able to determine what was intended during the original dictation and correctly translate the spoken word in the final transcript. Modern stenographic devices, however, are not able to electronically understand or store shadow output. If the stenographer does not actuate a key adequately, then no output is generated. And, if keys of a set of keys are actuated in varying degrees, then incorrect output is transcribed.
Prior art stenographic keyboards all have a rear and middle row of ten keys each and a front row of four keys, the latter being closer to the stenographer than the former. In such machines, the keys of the front row correspond to vowels. These keys are, in the prior art, at a level lower (closer to ground) than the two rear rows.
Some prior art machines are illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6. FIGS. 1 and 2 are views of a stenographic writer manufactured by the Stenograph Corporation and called a Mira. This keyboard does not include the keys to the left of the two rear rows mentioned above. As is clear from FIG. 1, the vowel keys in the front row are in a different, lower, plane than the keys in the two rear rows.
The Mira has the ability to adjust key sensitivity but this adjustment is entirely mechanical, it is also inconvenient. As shown in FIG. 3, where the top of the machine is opened, there are individual key sensitivity adjustment wheels for each of the keys. Thus, in order to make any adjustment, the top of the machine must be opened. This means that stenography cannot occur while making a key sensitivity adjustment and also means that the screen of the Mira cannot be viewed while in this adjustment mode. More importantly, after an adjustment has been made, the top must be closed before the user can check to see if the adjustment was adequate. So, the adjustment process must be repeated on a trial-and-error basis for each key, which can be extremely time-consuming. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the depth-of-stroke adjustment wheel and the tension adjustment wheel, respectively. It is noted that the stroke adjustment wheel is hard to reach and cannot be accessed unless the top of the machine is opened. The stroke adjustment wheel is stiff and only permits a small fraction of adjustment as compared to the entire key stroke. Practically, a user cannot type with the machine while an adjustment is being made. Similarly, the tension adjustment wheel in FIG. 5 only allows a small adjustment. Again, the top of the machine must be opened, making it impractical to write on the machine at the same time that an adjustment is being made.
In stenographic machines that are used in countries outside Europe, there are additional keys to the left of the two rear rows. These additional keys are at the same level as the keys in the rear two rows and correspond to different characters that are not needed for English transcription. These keys, in use, can be depressed individually or together. When such machines are used by United States trained stenographers, these keys are a distraction and/or get in the way of their typing. Accordingly, most machines sold in the United States do not include these keys. In other machines, such users commonly remove these keys.
FIG. 6 illustrates another prior art stenographic machine referred to as the Tréal TR, manufactured by Word Technologies. This writer is not adjustable and has plunger-activated keys. There are three holes shown on the left-hand side where the extra set of keys were positioned before they were removed. These keys existed in the same plane as the other keys of the three 10-key rear rows. Another prior art writer similar to this machine is called the Gemini, manufactured by the Neutrino Group.